VALVE MAGAZINE Summer 2023

HYDROGEN VALVE SUMMIT COMING IN SPRING 2024

MAGAZINE

VOL. 35, NO.3

SUMMER 2023

Process Conditions Key to Lab-Cultivated Proteins

A PRIMER ON PRESSURE SEAL VALVES

CONTROL VALVES FOR HYDROGEN

CHECK VALVE INSTALLATION

SRV TESTING & MONITORING

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14 Sustainable

CONTROL VALVES FOR HYDROGEN APPLICATIONS Hydrogen is taking center stage as the fuel of the future. Learn how product selection, sizing and materials are critical for the safe production and transport. BY KEVIN JACKSON CHECK VALVE INSTALLATION CONSIDERATIONS TO MAXIMIZE PROCESS PERFORMANCE Key considerations in successful check valve performance. BY LEA CLAUSON SAFETY RELIEF VALVE PERFORMANCE TESTING & MONITORING Nuclear plant engineers and maintenance staff need to pay extra attention to SRV monitoring and maintenance. BY JEREMY STEVENS & PHILLIP TWADDLE Protein Products: What’s Ahead for Manufacturers As climate change forces us to look at different ways to grow, raise and cultivate our food, fermentation to create “meat” that is sustainable is on the rise. BY DIANE JACOBER COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF UPSIDE FOODS

MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 | VOL. 35, NO. 3

PHOTO CREDIT: UPSIDE FOODS

38 Editor’s Picks

18

> Valve changeout tool > Anti-surge valve technology

> Device manager server > WirelessHART gateway > Network solutions for actuators

PRODUCTS

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NOW ON…

Check out Valve’s website for hundreds of technical articles! Advances in Offshore Safety

28 33

Metal Additive Manufacturing: The Evolving Road to Adoption & Standardization Predictive Maintenance with Retrofitted Electraulic Actuation

Testing of Hydrogen Valves

COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS

4 Perspectives

26 Valve Basics: A Primer On Pressure Seal Valves

Industry Capsules … 6 VMA Calendar … 7 VMA News ... 10

VMA and VRC Member Roster … 36 Index of Advertisers … 40

BY HEATHER RHODERICK

PERSPECTIVES

MAGAZINE .com MAGAZINE MAGAZINE eNews

www.VALVEmagazine.com Unlocking the Future:

VMA’s Annual Meeting and Beyond Tackle Key Trends

VALVE MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD Greg Johnson, Chairman UNITED VALVE Maria Aguirre COWAN DYNAMICS Don Bowers CONVAL, INC. Jean Dockendorf DEZURIK, INC. Stuart Prestridge SETPOINT INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Gabe Salwan QUALITY VALVE

This time of year, I’m spending time planning VMA’s Annual Meeting, and a significant part of that is working with our member leaders to discuss and understand what’s on their minds, and how that translates into topics to cover at the Annual Meeting. It also provides a time to reflect on how the issues and activities VMA is working on help our member companies in their businesses. In looking at this issue of Valve Magazine , there are certainly overlaps in what is covered here and what we’ll delve deeper into at the 85 th VMA Annual Meeting early this fall and throughout the coming year. First and foremost, hydrogen. Close behind are carbon cap ture, energy transition and energy security — all very import ant topics for our industry. The Annual Meeting will address these topics, and on page 18, we take a look at control valves in hydrogen applications, focusing on the importance of mate rial selection and sizing, as well as setting up for diagnostics to prevent fugitive emissions and other issues once installed. I’m also excited to announce that VMA will be holding our first Hydrogen Valve Summit — open to anyone in the industry — next spring. This is the first event for the industrial valve industry solely focused on hydrogen and carbon capture oppor tunities. It is one day prior to the Valve Forum, and I hope to see you there! A market segment that we haven’t covered in the magazine for a while is food and beverage. This issue’s feature article (page 14) takes a look at some of the unique processing and valve needs in the industry, and even if your company isn’t a part of the industry — the article is an interesting read! Other articles get back to basics by exploring important safety considerations and a case study with valves used in the nuclear industry, as well as articles on check valves and pres sure seal valves. Also in this issue of Valve , the VMA News section discusses the PFAS chemicals activities we are working on to support our members and the industry at large. With the potential to have detrimental effects on the environment, health, the economy and more, it is of paramount importance to all of us. I am also happy to announce two new VMA members. Thank you for reading Valve Magazine , and as always, if your company isn’t a member and would like more information, please contact me at hrhoderick@vma.org.

VALVE Magazine (ISSN No. 1057 2813) is the official magazine of the Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA) and is owned by VMA, located at 1625 K Street NW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20006; 202.331.8105; Fax: 202.296.0378. Advertising queries: 513.527.8809. VALVE Magazine is mailed quar terly. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC, and at additional mailing offices. VALVE Magazine is produced by Gardner Business Media on behalf of VMA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VALVE Magazine , P.O. Box 119 Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Subscriptions are free to qualified readers in the United States and Canada; $40 per year to unqualified readers in the United States and Canada; $60 per year for all subscribers outside the United States and Canada. Statements of fact and opinion made are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not necessarily imply endorsement or agreement on the part of the officers or membership of VMA. Materials may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of VMA.

VALVE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 4 www.vma.org

© Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Heather Rhoderick, CAE President

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INDUSTRY CAPSULES

COMPANY TRANSITIONS TO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND THRIVES Doug Beck first learned of employee ownership when his bank recommended it to him as a method of succession for his family company. “I first realized that employee ownership was what I was going to do as I planned for retirement because I don’t have any children to take over the business,” Beck says. “I also

additional acreage to Chev ron’s leading position in the Permian Basin. “PDC’s attractive and com plementary assets strength en Chevron’s position in key U.S. production basins,” says Chevron Chairman and CEO, Mike Wirth. “This transaction is accretive to all important financial measures and enhances Chevron’s objective to safely deliver higher returns and lower carbon. We look forward to welcoming PDC’s team and shareholders to Chevron and continuing both companies’ focus on safe and reliable operations.” “The combination with Chevron is a great oppor tunity for PDC to maximize value for our shareholders. It provides a global portfolio of best-in-class assets,” says Bart Brookman, PDC Pres ident and CEO. “I look for ward to blending our highly complementary organiza tions, and I’m excited that PDC’s assets will help propel Chevron toward our shared goal for a lower carbon ener gy future.” CIRCOR INTERNATIONAL ENTERS ACQUISITION DEAL WITH KKR Circor International Inc. (Circor), a provider of mis sion-critical flow control products and services for the industrial, aerospace and defense markets, has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by investment funds managed by KKR, a global investment firm, in an all-cash transac tion valued at approximate ly $1.6 billion, including the assumption of debt. Under the terms of the agreement, KKR acquires all outstanding shares of Circor common stock for $49 per

used in more than 70 coun tries and in more than a dozen industries to precisely position valves and dampers. Harold Beck & Sons became employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) at the end of 2021. Since transitioning to the ESOP at the end of 2021, Beck says he has already noticed increased growth, excitement and engagement

Solutions business and cre ate an even more compelling customer decarbonization proposition • Leading CCS network underpins ExxonMobil’s com mitment to low carbon value chains including CCS, hydro gen, ammonia, biofuels and direct air capture • Transaction synergies expected to enable more than 100 MTA of emissions reductions over time, driving strong growth and returns The transaction synergies are expected to drive strong growth and returns for Exx onMobil. The acquisition of Denbury provides ExxonMo bil with the largest owned and operated CO 2 pipeline network in the U.S. at 1,300 miles. CHEVRON ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE PDC ENERGY Chevron Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement with PDC Energy, Inc. to acquire all of the out standing shares of PDC in an all-stock transaction valued at $6.3 billion, or $72 per share. Based on Chevron’s closing price on May 19, 2023, and under the terms of the agreement, PDC share holders will receive 0.4638 shares of Chevron for each PDC share. The total enter prise value — including debt — of the transaction is $7.6 billion. The acquisition of PDC provides Chevron with high-quality assets expected to deliver higher returns in lower carbon intensity basins in the United States. PDC brings strong free cash flow, low breakeven production and development opportu nities adjacent to Chevron’s position in the Denver-Jules burg (DJ) Basin, as well as

wanted to retain the culture and success of the company moving forward without having to worry that a sale to a competitor or other strategic buyer would result in relocating the business, laying off workers or reduc ing benefits.” Founded by Beck’s grand father, Harold Beck & Sons began in Philadelphia with the initial goal of improv ing temperature control of industrial furnaces and the belief that their automation method could prove more effective than other com panies. The business grew exponentially during the 1940s as World War II surged and continued to grow from there. In 1996, Doug Beck joined the company as pres ident and began placing an emphasis on international expansion. Today, the com pany has 135 employees. Beck electric actuators are

within the company. “People really began to take real ownership in the company and have more enthusiasm,” Beck says. EXXONMOBIL TO ACQUIRE DENBURY INC. ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Denbury Inc. (NYSE: DEN), an experienced developer of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCS) solutions and enhanced oil recovery. The acquisition is an all-stock transaction val ued at $4.9 billion, or $89.45 per share based on Exxon Mobil’s closing price on July 12, 2023. Under the terms of the agreement, Denbury shareholders will receive 0.84 shares of ExxonMobil for each Denbury share. • Combined assets and capabilities further acceler ate ExxonMobil’s Low Carbon

VALVE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 6

CALENDAR

share in cash, representing a 55% premium to the compa ny’s closing stock price. KKR is making its invest ment in Circor through its North America Fund XIII. The investment builds on KKR’s experience investing in flow control technologies and aerospace and defense industry suppliers globally, including Ingersoll Rand (formerly known as Gardner Denver), Flow Control Group, Hensoldt and Novaria Group. The board of directors of Circor has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends that Circor shareholders vote in favor of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quar ter of 2023, subject to the receipt of approval from the company’s shareholders and certain required regulatory approvals, as well as the sat isfaction of other customary closing conditions. The board has the right to terminate the merger agreement to enter into a superior pro posal, subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. Following the close of the transaction, KKR will support Circor in expanding its equity ownership pro gram to allow all employees to have the opportunity to participate in the benefits of ownership of the company. This strategy is based on the belief that employee engagement is a key driver in building stronger compa nies. Once the transaction is complete, Circor will be a pri vately held company wholly owned by KKR’s investment funds and will no longer have its common stock listed on any public market.

CURTISS-WRIGHT SELECTED BY NEI TO DEVELOP NEXT-GEN PADS Curtiss-Wright’s Nuclear division announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Nuclear Energy Insti tute (NEI) to develop the Next Generation Personnel Access Data System (Next Gen. PADS). First introduced in 1988, NEI’s PADS software is used by U.S. commercial nuclear licensee members to share access authorization, fitness-for-duty, training and radiation protection information. Curtiss-Wright will col laborate with NEI and its industry steering committee in the design, testing and implementation of the Next Generation PADS software. The company’s In-Processing and Access Authorization (IPAA) suite is comprised of three software applications designed to optimize nuclear in-processing, access autho rization, and fitness-for-du ty activities. Over 65% of U.S. nuclear power utilities use IPAA applications. Curtiss-Wright is perform ing the work at its Idaho Falls, Idaho, facility within its Nuclear division in the Naval & Power segment. The project commenced in Q2 2023 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2024. AMERICA MAKES AND ANSI PUBLISH ROADMAP FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING V3.0 America Makes and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) announced the publication of the Stan dardization Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing, Version 3.0, developed by the America Makes and ANSI Additive Manufacturing Standardization Collabora

tive (AMSC). The roadmap describes the current and desired future standardiza tion landscape for additive manufacturing (AM) and focuses on industrial market sectors using AM technol ogies. A total of 141 stan dardization gaps (including 60 new gaps) are identified with corresponding recom mendations across the AM lifecycle areas of design; precursor materials; process control; post-processing; finished material properties; qualification and certifica tion; nondestructive eval uation; maintenance and repair; and data. The hope is that the roadmap will be broadly adopted by the user community to facilitate a more coordinated approach to the future development of AM standards. The AMSC is a cross-sec tor coordinating body that works to accelerate the development of indus try-wide AM standards. NEW PARTNERSHIP FORMED TO TREAT AND DESTROY PFAS FROM MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEMS Ovivo Inc. (“Ovivo”), a glob bal provider of water and wastewater treatment equip ment, technologies and systems, announced a new strategic partnership with E2metrix Inc. (“E2metrix” and together with Ovivo, the “Partners”) to develop and commercialize a complete integrated solution to treat and destroy perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl sub stances (“PFAS”), commonly called the forever chemi cals, and other emerging contaminants present in water and wastewater. The solution will permanently safeguard public health and provide a viable onsite PFAS

SEPTEMBER 27-29 VMA/VRC Annual Meeting (VMA Members only) Savannah, GA Vma.org/AnnualMeeting OCTOBER VMA Webinar: Hydrogen & Carbon Capture ALL YEAR LONG Valve Basics Virtual: Available all year Vma.org/VirtualBasics APRIL 9 Hydrogen Valve Summit Houston, TX 10-11 Valve Forum: Conference & Exhibits Houston, TX VMA.org 2024

SUMMER 2023 VALVE MAGAZINE

OTHER VMA EVENTS Please visit vma.org for additional programs as they are scheduled. *Open to VMA/VRC members only. Visit www.VMA.org to learn if your company qualifies for membership.

7

INDUSTRY CAPSULES

utilizing an electrochemical oxidation technology at the heart of the integrated solution. The partners are currently piloting a solu tion in Alabama that has delivered impressive results with up to 99% reduction of PFOS and PFOA and over 85% reduction of total detectable

PFAS in the water treated. The integrated solution is not only removing PFAS, but is mineralizing these forever chemicals into their elemen tal parts of carbon and flu orine, returning safe water back to the environment at a full-scale facility.

destruction option to their customers. Since December 2021, Ovivo and E2metrix have been exclusively collabo rating to develop an onsite, commercially viable treat ment system to remove and destroy PFAS present in municipal drinking water

MAGAZINE .com MAGAZINE MAGAZINE eNews

STAFF

VICE PRESIDENT, FINISHING AND VALVE MEDIA Todd Luciano

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Heather Gaynor

MANAGING EDITOR Jann Bond

ART DIRECTOR/ PRODUCTION MANAGER Rhonda Weaver

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

THREE NEW SENIOR APPOINTMENTS AT VAL-MATIC Val-Matic Valve & Mfg. Corp. CEO Rob McDonald announced the appointment of Suhas Mahadik to the position of president, and the promotion of Jason Maciejewski to the position of senior VP of sales. The company also welcomed Sandra Diaz as director of planning and forecasting. Mahadik has been with parent company A.Y. McDonald Industries since July 2022 as director of automation. Maciejewski has been with Val-Matic nearly 13 years and has held a variety of sales roles with increasing responsibility. Diaz began her career in customer service and switched to inventory and supply chain. She has worked in the PPE industry, and gained responsibility with each role.

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Bill Caldwell

How to Contact VALVE Magazine EDITORIAL OFFICES 6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45244

phone: 513-527-8808 ext. 7323 email: hgaynor@gardnerweb.com website: www.ValveMagazine.com

ADVERTISING SALES Todd Luciano 6915 Valley Ave.,

Cincinnati, OH 45244 phone: 513-527-8809 fax: 513-527-8801 email: tluciano@gardnerweb.com

CIRCULATION/SUBSCRIPTIONS phone: 513-527-8800 fax: 847-564-9453 email: valvesubscribe@vma.org

Suhas Mahadik Jason Maciejewski EASTERN CONTROLS ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP UPDATES

Sandra Diaz

Subscriptions are free to qualified subscribers in the United States and VMA members in Canada; non-qualified subscribers in the United States, Canada and other international are entitled to the digital edition for free.

Eastern Controls, Inc. (ECI), a leading provider of process measurement and con trol equipment and services, announced the promotion of Kevin Lavelle to gen eral manager and Ted Johnson to vice president of sales. Lavelle assumes overall responsibility for the strategic direction, growth and operational excellence of Eastern Control. He has extensive experience in sales and leadership, and a deep understanding of the industry. Johnson has spent more than 40 years in the pro cess industry and has developed strong relationships throughout his career.

NEW PRODUCTS, MEDIA AND INDUSTRY NEWS Heather Gaynor

phone: 513-527-8808 ext. 7323 email: hgaynor@gardnerweb.com

VDMA VALVES ASSOCIATION ELECTS NEW VICE CHAIR; COMMITTEE CHAIR In early July, the board of directors of the Building Valves Division elected Stefan Gesing, CEO of Dornbracht AG & Co KG, as its new chairman. He also assumes the role of vice chairman of the VDMA Valves Association. Gesing has been CEO at Dornbracht since 2020. Previously, he served as CFO and member of the executive board at Grohe AG and as CFO at Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions.

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS VALVE Magazine

welcomes articles, proposals, manuscripts, photographs and ideas from our readers. For a copy of the magazine’s Author’s Guidelines, contact Heather Gaynor, Editor-in-Chief, at hgaynor@gardnerweb.com

VALVE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 8

Stefan Gesing

Forward together – Neles is now part of Valmet

Neles was merged into Valmet on April 1, 2022 and is now Valmet’s Flow Control business line. Valmet now offers an extensive flow control portfolio of industry leading valves, valve automation solutions and related services, including the renowned Neles, Neles Easyflow, Jamesbury, Stonel, Valvcon and Flowrox solutions. Valmet is now an even stronger, globally leading company with a unique and competitive offering of process technologies, services, automation systems and flow control solutions for process industries.

Our global team of around 17,000 professionals is committed to moving your performance forward — every day.

For more information, visit valmet.com/flowcontrol

VMA NEWS

PFAS Task Group Formed; Comments Submitted on Draft PFAS Legislation

VMA’s PFAS Task Group, formed earlier this year, is working to raise awareness of the implications that a full ban on all PFAS materials could have on the industry, the customers it serves, the environment, health, energy, the economy and much more. For a number of years, the governments in the European Union, the U.S. and Canada have been increasing activities that would lead to a ban on all PFAS materials — having far-reaching and what we believe are broad negative implications to society. While VMA supports eliminating harmful PFOAs and PFOS, we believe the many other PFAS chemicals, including fluo ropolymers, create low concerns and need to continue to be used. In our industry, fluoropolymers are used due to their properties in effective sealing, creating barriers for emissions, reducing energy use and providing a safe and reliable produc tion process. There are no available substitutions that provide similar and extensive benefits in many critical applications. Additionally, removing the ability to use these PFAS would negate decades of success in providing clean air as these products drastically reduce fugitive emissions. Earlier this month, VMA submitted comments in support of the Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public Works’ draft legislation on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances

PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

(PFAS). This draft legislation differentiates different types of PFAS substances, which VMA supports. VMA continues to work with other national and global associations on this issue and to support our members and industry with govern mental and other leaders as needed. For more information on PFAS used in our industry, see the Valve Magazine article in the Winter 2022 issue.

Hydrogen Valve Summit Announced; New Location for Valve Forum 2024 It is hard to ignore the focus on and opportunities for

spectives; end-user applications and perspectives; and test ing, qualifications, materials, standards and other topics. “This is the first industry event that truly focuses just on these two technologies and the role that valves have in helping the world meet new environmental and energy challenges. I’m excited to help VMA offer this Summit to the industry next year,” says Heather Rhoderick, president of VMA. The Summit will be held the day prior to the 2024 Valve Forum, on April 9, 2024, in Houston. The Valve Forum: Conference & Exhibits will be held April 10-11, 2024, in Houston. The forum offers exhibits, product demonstrations, hands-on opportunities and plenty of educational sessions and networking. Introductory and advanced technical topics on valves, actuators and controls — including applications and standards — will be covered, as well as manufacturing, marketing and business topics. More information will be available this fall, and those who are interested can sign up to receive the information first at www.vma.org/valveforum .

hydrogen solutions and carbon capture technology — both in mainstream news and in technical journals from many

industries. The indus trial valve industry is essential to help bring the benefits and poten tial oppor tunities of both main stream. VMA is excited to

VALVE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 10

announce a new Hydrogen Valve Summit to help our indus try understand many of the issues and hear perspectives from key players. The Hydrogen Valve Summit will provide an overview of the landscape; government/academia per

VMA Welcomes New Members VMA welcomes ARI-Armaturen as a new manufacturer member! ARI-Armaturen can look back on a tradition of more than 60 years as a specialist for valves and compo nents. In 2002, ARI-Armaturen USA was established in Houston to provide a growing North American customer base with localized support and inventory.

VMA welcomes Carbide Technologies Inc. (CTI) as a supplier member! Carbide Technologies specializes in rotating equipment and valve repairs and manufacturing. Utilizing thermal spray coat ings, precision grinding and seat lapping, CTI is able to repair any type of ball for ball valves ranging from 2" to 42".

From industrial processes and chemicals through shipbuilding to building management, whether standard constructions or custom-made, the company offers a broad product portfolio of industrial valves and services linked to control, isolation, safety and steam trapping. Product development, manufacturing and rigorous testing are done with state-of-the-art technologies and quality control processes.

Not restricted to ball valves, CTI can also coat and grind plug and gate-type valves. Family-owned and operated, Carbide Technologies Inc. is located in Houston.

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SUMMER 2023 VALVE MAGAZINE

WHEN YOU CALL VAC, you will find a friendly, knowledgeable person available to answer your questions or to take your order. The order usually ships within 2 days. VAC is a privately owned company, allowing us to be flexible and responsive to your needs. Compared to those other companies, we are a VACation. Serving the Positioner Industry for Over 20 Years

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VMA NEWS

Excitement Builds for 85th Annual Meeting VMA is holding its 85 th Annual Meeting this year back on the east coast for the first time in four years, and in a new city, Savannah, Ga. The Annual Meeting — open to VMA and VRC member companies — delivers unparalleled network ing, discussion and analysis of the most important external

and internal issues being faced, and how they affect the industrial valve and flow control industry. This year, topics on the agenda include traditional and new energy sources, sustainability/ESG, government regulatory and legislative implications including PFAS updates and implications, trade

and geopolitical issues, industry technical inno vations and more. Hotel rooms are filling up fast, and registration rates increase September 5. VMA and VRC members can register and learn more at www.vma.org/annualmeeting , and for those interested in VMA membership, contact Heather Rhoderick at hrhoderick@vma.org. Nominate a Deserving Individual for a VMA Membership Award

Each year, VMA honors and recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the industry and VMA. All VMA members are encouraged to provide nominations for individ uals who are deserving via the link on vma.org/awards . Two awards are presented at the annual meeting — the Person of the Year Award and the Service Award. The Person of the Year Award is VMA’s highest honor and is given to one individual each year. The winner should possess a passion for

the industry and for sharing their knowledge with others to help advance VMA and the industry at large. VMA’s Service Award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service, expertise and guidance while participating on a committee, or to VMA in some other way. A list of past recipients of both awards can be found at vma.org/awards .

VMA’s Office is Moving! Early this fall, VMA will move its offices to Alexandria, Va. The new office pro vides a modern layout and flexibility to meet the changing needs of staff and the way in which work is conducted today. It will have space available for VMA committee meetings and also offers members a home base if they are in the D.C. area for business. A small display area will be filled with examples of our industry products — past and present — as well as an area to facilitate video content. “With its location close to many other organizations which VMA routinely works with, as well as to transportation, the new office space provides VMA with the opportunity to showcase the indus try and our Association to members and partners,” says Heather Rhoderick, pres ident of VMA. Effective October 1, 2023, the new office address is 209 Madison St., Ste. 303, Alexandria, VA, 22314. All email addresses and phone numbers will remain the same.

VALVE MAGAZINE SUMMER 2023 12

SEVERE SERVICE · CRITICAL APPLICATIONS · TIGHT TOLERANCE

Valve Repair Seminar Provides Focus on Key Industry Issues After a five-year hiatus, the Valve Repair Seminar, produced by the Valve Repair Council, an affiliate of VMA, took place in early June outside of

Houston, Tx. The Seminar provided the perfect opportunity for learning and networking through the sharing of best practices, tours of a local facility and demonstrations of new technology. Day one included a tour of the Setpoint IS facility nearby, where safety programs were highlighted as well as the overall facility operational flow and various pods of work centered on specif ic valve types. The next day kicked off at the Houston Area

Safety Council with presentations on var ious repair issues and management topics. The day was moderated by Chris Jones, Valve Repair Council board member and director of asset reliability Services at Midwest Valve Ser vices. Kyle Burdine, lead speaker and sales engi neer at Digitize Designs, provided attendees with AI applications for the

Emerson’s IIoT solutions and analytics software detect compressed air leaks saving manufacturers over 20% in energy costs. Learn more at Emerson.com/Sustainable-Automation Go sustainability.

Speaker R. Roth

repair industry, mostly around possibilities with 3D scanning technology and how that could be utilized in the valve repair process. Other topics that generated a lot of discussion — both presented by Setpoint employees — included a discussion on hiring and why it’s important to find the right team and indi viduals who support and reflect the organization culture and goals, and safety considerations when bringing valves back to the shop to repair. A discussion on the industry implications and current activity around PFAS chemicals also took place. Remaining sessions focused on core repair issues — from pipeline valves, MOV, fugitive emissions and more. Thank you to Carbide Technologies, EFCO USA, ENGIS and EGC for providing tabletop displays during the closing reception. With over 40 people in attendance, the event was a great way for targeted networking! The next seminar will take place in two years. In the meantime, repair topics will be presented at the Valve Forum next spring in Houston.

SUMMER 2023 VALVE MAGAZINE

Visit us at Pack Expo 2023 South Lower Hall, Booth 6107

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Sustainable Protein Products:

What’s Ahead for Manufacturers?

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

As alternatives to conventional meat products are being introduced to relieve environmental and ethical implications of farming, process engineers are presented with both challenges and opportunities.

In recent years, people worldwide have grown increasingly concerned about the

Also called fungi-based food, mycelium forms a filamen tous, dense structure that mimics meat with excellent pro tein content and digestibility. Biomass fermentation takes place in a bioreactor where environmental conditions key to the growth of the mycelium are closely monitored and controlled. Engineers are optimiz ing bioreactor design, but the process is already considered to be an efficient method of food preparation. Products made with this technique, such as Quorn, are widely available today in supermarkets. CULTIVATED MEAT Also referred to as cell-based meat, cultivated meat is a new, innovative cellular agriculture process with the potential to feed more people using fewer resources than conventionally raised livestock. Unlike plant-based meat alternatives that only mimic the taste and texture of meat, cultivated meat is a real meat protein grown from animal cells in a bioreactor. By leveraging the biotechnology already being used to

BY DIANE JACOBER

environmental and ethical implications of raising livestock on a densely populated planet. As a result, alternatives to conventional meat products are being introduced and adopt ed rapidly, presenting both challenges and opportunities for process engineers as they work to design manufacturing practices to deliver these foods at reasonable cost and with the most efficient use of resources. BIOMASS FERMENTATION AND MYCELIUM PLANT MEAT A family of products called fermented proteins are one field that is growing in popularity. While fermentation has been used in food preparation for years, recent technology is using fermentation for alternative protein production. The Good Foods Institute (GFI) defines “biomass fermentation” as “using high-protein content and rapid growth of micro organisms to efficiently make large amounts of protein-rich food.”

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So How’s It Made? Created from animal cells instead of from the farming and slaughter of animals, cultivated meat is cellularly the same product as the traditional farmed meat you are used to eating. But, compared to conventional produc tion, it is less resource-intensive with decreased meth ane emissions (that occur in large amounts from cattle production), uses less water and is less polluting, and removes some of the issues with antibiotic resistance and foodborne illnesses. One study from CE Delft in Europe found that compared with farming animals, cultivated meat could cut the climate impact by up to 92%, reduce air pollution by up to 94% and use up to 90% less land. In 2020, Singapore was the first country to allow the sale of cultivated meat. In the U.S., the FDA and USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are working together under a joint agreement to oversee the industry. The FDA oversees cell collection, cell banks and cell growth, while the USDA-FSIS oversees production and labeling of the products. Any cultured food that is imported must meet the same legal requirements as domestically produced foods and food safety regulations, and the manufacturers must undergo additional equiv alence process and adhere to labeling requirements. At this time, the USDA-FSIS has not found equivalence with any country, so the import of cultured meat and poultry products for commercial consumption is currently not allowed. In March 2023, the USDA cleared cultured chicken cell material made by Good Meat company as safe for human consumption, and in May 2023, both Good Meat and Upside Foods got approval from the US Department of Agriculture to sell their products in the U.S. Bar Crenn, owned by Chef Dominique Crenn, is planning to sell the Upside product. And Chef José Andrés is going to sell the Good Meat product in one of his Washington, D.C. restaurants. Crenn is the only female chef in the U.S. with three Michelin stars, and Andrés is a world-re nowned chef who has also made humanitarian work a key tenet of his work, taking his World Central Kitchen concept to disaster areas and even war zones in Ukraine to provide meals for residents and workers while they recover and rebuild. With two of the most renowned chefs in the U.S. offering these products at their restaurants, production facilities are being built. As the adoption curve by foodie consumers will likely accelerate the demand for these products, expect to see them in grocery cases in the near future. What do you think, will you buy cultivated meat products or do you already? Send me an email and let me know your thoughts.

produce medicines, cellular-based food technology can be utilized to produce beef, chicken or fish while improving food safety and security — all without harming any animals. The cultivation process begins by harmlessly harvesting cells from an animal. The cells are grown in a stainless-steel bioreactor, similar to a brewery fermenter, where the bio logical process that happens inside an animal takes place in the bioreactor. The bioreactor, sometimes called “cultivator” in this process, is supplied with the necessary elements for building muscle, such as water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and growth factors. During the process, parameters such as pH, temperature, oxygen, and pressure are tightly controlled. Further refinement of the meat struc ture takes place after harvesting the cells, often using plant based scaffolding to encourage the meat to grow in a certain form. Cultivated meat is in its infant stages and the process has some significant design hurdles to overcome before it can be price competitive with conventional farmed meat. To pro duce cost-effective products that meet the market demand, cultivating meat requires high throughput, affordable input ingredients and minimized process costs. CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES To be competitive with the cost of conventional farmed meat, the process of cultivating meat will have to be done on a very large scale. Industry leaders are using bioreactor technology know-how from the life sciences companies, but the scale required for producing medicine is much smaller than that needed for meat. Ideal parameters for best qual ity final product are also being studied. Process conditions such as levels of pH, dissolved oxygen and glucose must be optimized for healthy and efficient cell growth. Automation around those parameters will also be a challenge as scien tists learn how to best measure and control them.

SUMMER 2023 VALVE MAGAZINE

Schematic of general perfusion process with direct-sealing diaphragm back pressure regulators maintaining transmembrane pressure. Photo Credit: Equilibar

—Heather Gaynor, Editor-in-Chief, Valve Magazine hgaynor@gardnerweb.com

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To produce cost-effective products and meet market demand, cultivating meat requires high throughput and min imized process costs. Processes where valves are used create opportunities for the valve industry to contribute to cultured meat optimization.

steam and energy. In the graph below of a standard SIP process, there are two main causes of waste : The first occurs during heat up, where the longer it takes to reach temperature, the more steam is

PERFUSION REACTOR FOR CULTURED MEAT Cultivated meat manufacturers are developing best practices for scaled up bioreactor design including batch, continuous and perfusion used in bioprocessing. Perfusion reactors offer key ben efits over standard batch-style processes for the cultivated

meat cell growth process due to the lengthy time it will take for the cells to grow, and the vol ume of meat required to main tain reasonable cost. The long processing time requires filter ing out waste during cell growth and recirculating the good cells back into the reactor. Filtering methods, such as tangential flow filtration (TFF), are well suited for this application and are commonly used. In a typical perfusion process, fresh media is added to the tank while spent media is circulated through a filter and removed. Transmembrane pressure (TMP) is a critical vari able during filtration and must be precisely maintained at a specific setpoint for the most efficient separation process. If pressure drifts, the healthy cells may not all be recircu lated back to the reactor, or the waste may not be properly removed. In these cases, the filtration process will take lon ger or reduce yield and result in higher cost. Valve selection for TFF can be an important decision for cost reduction. Multiple-orifice direct-sealing diaphragm valves, for instance, have been proven to provide superior filtration pressure control in TFF applications for perfusion

Graph of steam heat up and control during SIP showing where time and energy can potentially be wasted. Photo Credit: Steriflow Valve

required to continue filling the vessel and more time is wast ed delaying the start of the next batch. The second occurs when the steam temperature overshoots due to improper control, resulting in wasted energy. Higher steam temperature equates to high energy costs. By choosing a high-performing steam pressure control valve to accurately control SIP with minimal droop, process engi neers can avoid wasted time and energy. TANK BLANKETING FOR MEAT CULTIVATOR TANKS Once the cultivator tank is sterilized, the growth process occurs under positive pressure to avoid contamination from adventitious agents. Bioreactors benefit from an inert gas protective layer, such as nitrogen (N 2 ), above the contents inside the tank to keep the environment sterile. The same

in biopharmaceutical processes. A responsive and precise sanitary back pressure regulator will be beneficial in the role of maintaining TMP to optimize yield. CLEANING AND STERILIZING CULTIVATED MEAT PROCESSING EQUIPMENT Bioreactor growth tanks or cultivator tanks and associated process lines are cleaned and sterilized before the cultivated meat growth process begins. Sanitary food processes use clean-in-place (CIP) and steam-in-place (SIP) methods to eliminate food contamination and cross-product contamination. One of the largest expenses for cultivated meat plants will be the cost of utilities, pri marily used for cleaning and sterilizing. Insuf ficient steam control can be a costly waste of

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Photo Credit: UPSIDE Foods

(pressure reducing valve or PRV) and a tank de-padding regulator (back pressure regulating valve or BPRV) can work together to keep an N 2 blanket in the cultivator tank. Here, a sanitary tank blanketing regulator (a low-pressure PRV) is used to add nitrogen gas to the cultivator growth tank at the start of the growth process or as pressure decreases during growth. As pressure conditions change during growth, the BPRV opens to relieve excess pressure and the PRV opens to add N 2 to increase the pressure. These valves work in tandem to keep the N 2 padding (blanketing) at the desired setpoint. The PRV and BPRV of choice for this process should be able to maintain very low pressure. LOOKING AHEAD The cultivated meat industry is an exciting new development and needs more optimization before becoming a viable alter native to traditional farmed meat. The examples here illus trate just a few ways that proper valve selection can contrib ute toward the industry’s success. Working together, leaders in the industry can tackle the challenges ahead. VM

Schematic of bioreactor/cultivator tank with precision low pressure tank padding regulator and de-padding regulator working together to maintain an inert nitrogen blanket. Photo Credit: Steriflow Food & Beverage

D iane J acober , MSME, is a technical marketing manager for Equilibar, and content creator for Richards Indus trials, Equilibar’s parent company. She has worked as a process engineer, project engineer and technical marketing specialist for several companies in a variety of fields.

setup can be used in cultivated meat growth tanks so the growth environment is carefully controlled to ensure the meat will grow healthy muscle and fat cells. Precise and responsive tank blanket valves can reduce cost by ensuring an optimum N 2 pressure. The example above shows how a tank padding regulator

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Southeastern Louisiana University Mechanical Engineering Technology Southern Valve Service Inc.

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17

Control Valves for Hydrogen Applications Proper sizing, material selection and monitoring are as important as ever.

Hydrogen has a long history in the energy market — from powering the first internal

must exercise caution. This is especially true now, as hydro gen is being generated and transported in large quantities around the world in various forms including hydrogen gas, hydrogen pure liquids and organic compounds that either absorb hydrogen or mix it with nitrogen to produce ammo nia. All these forms of hydrogen require proper pressure and temperature control to make them viable as pure hydrogen or as a carrier to move it to areas where hydrogen cannot be manufactured locally in sufficient quantity to meet the local demand. There are five key areas to consider when determining the size and configuration of a control valve for use in hydrogen, as well as when configuring isolation and safety valves. MATERIAL SELECTION Hydrogen embrittlement (HE), also known as hydrogen-as sisted cracking or hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC), is a complex process involving several distinct contributing micro-mechanisms, familiar to anyone who has worked in the upstream sector. However, in more recent years, it has become widely accepted that HE is a complex issue that can be a result of improper material selection and environmental conditions, metal hydride formation, phase transforma tions of the hydrogen and a variety of other factors without always being able to identify a single cause. The result of HE is a reduction in ductility due to the absorption of the very small hydrogen atoms. Steels with a tensile strength of less than approximately 145 ksi (1000 MPa), or with a Rockwell hardness of less than

BY KEVIN JACKSON

combustion engines over 200 years ago to becoming an inte gral part of the modern refining industry. When we think about hydrogen applications, most people think of hydrogen used in refineries to either remove sulfur from gasoline, die sel fuel and other refined products, as a catalyst to stimulate chemical reaction, or as a fuel for furnaces that generate steam for several refining processes. It is important to note that hydrogen is a gas that must be treated with respect, particularly when it comes to material selection. If not, the safety risk associated with using improper materials can be catastrophic and pose a long-term safety hazard. As we move to a greener world, hydrogen is becoming an increasingly common fuel and is expected to be used in vari ous applications. These applications include the blending, in different percentages, of hydrogen with natural gas common ly 20%/80%, to produce a gas for gas-fired power generation that reduces CO 2 output by approximately 6-7%, or in trans portation either as drop-in fuels, hydrogen gas cells, or in liquid form for vehicles that require longer range. Hydrogen can be produced in four basic ways. In the refin ery, hydrogen is traditionally produced from natural gas, oil or coal by steam methane reforming or by gasification, with approximately 96% of today’s hydrogen produced using this process. Electrolysis is the fourth method, and today rep resents about 4% of total hydrogen produced globally. When it comes to sizing and configuring control valves for hydrogen gas and liquid applications, control valve engineers

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